Scanned from History of Dakota Territory
Edwin Alonzo Sherman was born on 19 June 1844 his ancestry to the U.S. dates to 1630 when John Sherman arrived and became a prominent professor at Harvard University. Mr. Sherman took up residence in Sioux Falls in the year 1873 when he purchased half interest in the Sioux Falls Independent, his interest in journalism waned and he sold his share in the paper. Over his forty years of residence Mr. Sherman would contribute to the growth of the city, in education, business, and public service. He was the first to build a stone building in the city, as well as developing banks, a milling company, and an electric light plant. Upon his retirement he donated 53 acres of land to be used by the citizens of Sioux Falls as a park, which is still a destination for citizens today. To sum up what Mr. Sherman meant to the early development of Sioux Falls one only needs to look at a quote from George Kingsbury’s History of Dakota Territory. He states, “At all times he has recognized the possibilities of the city and utilized his opportunities for promoting its growth and development, his labors have been far reaching, effective, and beneficial”. [1] Mr. Sherman died at the age of 81 and was buried at Mt. Pleasant Cementary on June 15th, 1916.
[1] (Kingsbury 1915, 482-485)
[1] (Kingsbury 1915, 482-485)